Remembering the late, great Larry Hagman

Larry Hagman, who died of cancer Friday at 81, was a giant, and not just because the Stetson he wore in his most iconic role added a good six inches to an already long frame. J.R. Ewing is one of the all-time great TV villains, the defining character of the quintessential drama of the Greed Is Good 1980s.

The character, and show, became so popular that more than half of all TV sets in America (and more than 3/4 of the sets that were on that night) were tuned in to the episode that resolved the legendary "Who Shot J.R.?" cliffhanger in the fall of 1980. The idea that viewers love to hate a villain never seemed more true than with J.R., who was nakedly driven by self-interest and yet so charming and funny and clever that you couldn't help rooting for him over his simpering good guy brother Bobby.

Even in his early 80s, playing a supporting role in a TNT "Dallas" sequel ostensibly focused on the next generation at Southfork, Hagman was still such a delight that his younger co-stars suffered terribly in comparison.

Hagman was a second-generation actor who got a few breaks thanks to his mother, Mary Martin. But he did far more with those breaks than most in his position ever have. As befuddled astronaut Tony Nelson on "I Dream of Jeannie," Hagman was the rare sitcom straight man who was genuinely funny in his own right. Though big roles were tough to come by in the decade after "Jeannie" — Hagman, like many sitcom stars before and since, was so identified with his famous role that many casting directors feared audiences wouldn't take him seriously as anything else — he did get supporting roles in movies like "Mother, Jugs & Speed" and "Harry and Tonto," and worked steadily as a guest star on other people's shows.

Then came "Dallas." The show had been designed as a miniseries with Patrick Duffy's Bobby as the lead, in a Texas oil take on "Romeo and Juliet." But the show was popular enough to be turned into an ongoing series, and the center quickly shifted to the gravitational force that was Hagman as J.R. Though "Dallas" was rarely as campy as its primetime soap rivals like "Dynasty," Hagman often said that he approached the character as if he were still the lead in a comedy, and the dry pleasure he took in insulting Bobby, Linda Gray as wife Sue Ellen or the rest of the ensemble was infectious. Every season from 1980-1985, "Dallas" finished either first or second in the Nielsen ratings.

When news of Hagman's death came down late on Friday night, a Twitter follower asked if I could think of a good modern equivalent of Hagman, and there really isn't one. Other actors have had multiple hit TV series before, and some have even made the transition from comedy to drama. But Hagman's second act would be like if Bryan Cranston went from "Malcolm in the Middle" to "Breaking Bad" and "Breaking Bad" became the most popular show in the world for half a decade.

After J.R. was shot by a mysterious assailant at the end of the third season, Hagman realized that he had all the leverage with the studio and threatened to quit if he didn't get a raise to a then-enormous $100,000 per episode. Though producers reportedly considered either killing off J.R. or recasting him, everyone recognized that Hagman was "Dallas," and he got the raise.

Hagman drank heavily for much of his adult life, and got a liver transplant in 1995. A man who took his leisure seriously, at the height of his celebrity he would open up his home as the location of CBS' party at the Television Critics Association press tour. (This practice — which would never happen today — came to an end when, legend has it, Hagman caught an unscrupulous reporter going through his things in a room that had been declared off-limits.)

When the ratings for "Dallas" finally dipped into cancellation territory, the final season ended with J.R., in a low moment, appearing to commit suicide. But of course the character was too beloved to die; in a reunion movie five years later, it was revealed that J.R. shot a mirror, and not himself. (As "Dallas" resurrections went, it was better than Bobby stepping out of the shower and revealing an entire season as a dream.)

Hagman was an enormous star, but he was also a superb actor, as he was able to demonstrate now and then in his post-"Dallas" years. In Mike Nichols' "Primary Colors," Hagman walked away with the movie as a straight-talking former Florida governor trying to hide a cocaine addiction and all the indiscretions it caused. ("Hell, I could handle anything," he says ruefully, "exception cocaine. Only I didn't know that because of cocaine.") He did memorable guest stints on "Nip/Tuck" and "Desperate Housewives," and even as he battled the cancer that killed him, he owned every frame of the new "Dallas." He had filmed a reported six episodes of the TNT show's second season, and the producers will attempt to continue without him. But it's hard to see the point in that beyond keeping the cast and crew employed. The new "Dallas" isn't remotely as popular as the old one, but whatever juice it had came from the crafty old man with the sculpted eyebrows and big white Stetson. Now he's gone, and with him all of the fun down at Southfork.

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

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Alan, thank you for your thoughtful appreciation of Mr. Hagman's career and television legacy. Your comments perceptively pointed out the under appreciated nature of his skills as an actor which were overshadowed by his enormous success as J.R. Ewing in Dallas.

Your comparison to Mr. Cranston was astute. Both actors achieved stardom as co-stars in popular sitcoms. They achieved far greater subsequent success in drama. Other stars have had multiple successful tv shows. Some examples are Lee Majors, Andy Griffith, Lucille Ball (albeit playing the same character essentially in three different series), and Michael Landon. The foregoing is not an exhaustive list. Both Tom Selleck and Juliana Marguiles are currently headlining their second successful tv show. Yet, Cranton and Hagman stretched the most in their respective second acts. There is no comparison between sitcom Dad and Walter White. Similarly, Major Nelson and J.R. Ewing are wholly different characters. Moreover, these great actors achieved their later success with markedly different physical appearances from their initial success. Walter White doesn't remotely resemble sitcom Dad from Malcolm in the Middle. Likewise, the eight years between the end of I Dream of Jeannie and the start of Dallas were not kind to Mr. Hagman's appearance. He reemerged in Dallas as a heavier, middle-aged version of his former leading man self. This speaks directly to the acting chops of both actors.

Your retelling of Mr. Hagman's ascension as the star of Dallas is entirely accurate. The 5-episode miniseries was designed as a star vehicle for emerging star Patrick Duffy and comeback girl Victoria Principal. As time has borne out, these stars are no slouches. Yet, Mr. Hagman stole their show right out from under them. it certainly wasn't on the printed page. The originally written J.R. Ewing was a broadly drawn caricature of an envious and conniving older brother. Rather, Mr. Hagman's portrayal of J.R. became the focal point of this throwback nighttime soap with timing, smirks, devious laughter, an arched brow, and sheer force of will. He did it with talent.

Mr. Hagman changed television history. He was Its first anti-hero. The viewer didn't just root for him against his brother, Bobby. They rooted for him against everybody. He was the smartest guy in the room. And the show was told from his perspective ( ironically, this notion was apparently lost on Mr. Hagman, himself. The far less successful latter years of Dallas featured J.R. as a victim. A creative decision made by the actor). There is no Tony Soprano, Walter White, Dexter Morgan, Don Draper, or Nucky Thompson without J.R. Ewing. The viewer identifies with and roots for these contemporary tv characters. That all started with Mr. Hagman's portrayal of his iconic character. As an aside, it is why I am not betting against Walter White in his 8-episode farewell next Summer.

There is no current comparison to Hagman's stardom at Dallas' peak. The television landscape has changed dramatically. The marketplace value has decreased inexorably. In his heyday, Mr. Hagman made twice as much as any other network actor. Arguably, Mark Harmon and Simon Baker are network television's biggest current stars. Their fame does not approach that of Mr. Hagman in the 1980's.

It was fitting that Larry Hagman passed away while working on the rebooted version of his beloved tv show. Nobody loved stardom more than him. And yes Alan, he was the best thing about TNT's Dallas reboot. A greatly diminished and frail Mr. Hagman effortlessly stole every scene he was in. The opening scene of the third episode, The Price You Pay, matches up with any scene from the original series (J.R. Teaching John Ross about business while giving him a close shave, originally broadcast June 20, 2012). Can the rebooted version of Dallas survive without Larry Hagman? Not sure. This incarnation is interestingly told from Bobby Ewing's perspective. That question will be answered around the time the 7th episode is aired next year.

May Mr. Hagman's contribution to television never be forgotten. He was a transformative figure in its history.

Alan, thank you again for your remembrance. This reader was most appreciative.

Victoria Principal was the original star of Dallas, not Patrick Duffy. Bobby was supposed to be killed off at the end of the miniseries, leaving Pam at the mercy of her wicked in laws for the continuing series. Fortunately they realized that wasa stupid premise for a series. (wealthy widows werent forced to live with their in-laws in 1978)

When I first heard saw Breaking Bad with Bryan Cranston, I immediately thought of Larry Hagman. I never could have imagined Cranston as a dramatic actor, yet, like Larry Hagman, he's fantastic as a bad guy. Could we ever picture Bob Denver, Bob Newhart, or even Jerry Seinfeld as a villain in their next series? Once I saw the news that Hagman had died, I kept visiting this site to see what you would write. This was a really nice tribute. Thanks.

The Internet has spawned irresponsible comment. It turns out that editing is a highly effective journalistic technique. I don't know who Scott Pierce is. Perhaps that is the point. We all know who Mr. Sepinwall is. His appreciation of Larry Hagman's career was dignified,accurate, and steeped with reverential perspective.

Yes, we ARE in television's golden age. Yet, we don't get here without Mr. Hagman's indelible contribution. He changed t medium forever.

The reporting on Larry Hagman's death has been haphazard, at best. It has been exhaustively reported that he had suffered from throat cancer. This is erroneous. When his cancer was diagnosed, the actor declined to identify his form of cancer. Which was his privacy right. When Mr. Hagman went into remission this past Spring, he did reveal that he was treated for a tumor on his tongue. This stayed in remission. He was diagnosed with MDS, a form of blood cancer, this past July. It had progressed to acute myeloid leukemia. This is a dire prognosis.

In the grand scheme,none of the forgoing changes Mr. Hagman's passing. However, it entirely explains his rapid decline over the past weeks. The "press" surely could have reported this to his many fans.

Since Cranston's name has come up, I was wondering your opinion on something...

Is the range of characters that Cranston has played -- specifically the zaniness of Hal in Malcom in the Middle vs. the current darkness of Walter White -- the widest range that you can think of for an actor in TV?

It's hard to imagine an actor has gone to more extremes on both the comedic and dramatic side as Cranston has, and he's done it so convincingly, too.